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My first cake disaster and it was for a referred customer

post #1 of 12
9/18/10 at 8:01pm
Thread Starter 
My friend has been so kind to pass my name along to potential clients. A co-worker of hers ordered a Coach purse cake. I'm just taking orders as they come and I'm a legal biz but not agressively marketing yet.

I had heard the customer was concerned that the C's on the cake wouldn't look good as she had seen many bad Coach purse cakes on the internet. So, I decided to try edible images to make sure the C's were perfect. And they were! Unfortunately, the edible image never really melted into the icing. It stayed put for over 12 hours and it wasn't too bad, a little wrinkled here and there. (I had practiced with 4 frosting sheets before even applying them to the cake - putting them on fondant, my icing, and they worked great). I figured it wasn't going to get any worse so I proceeded with the rest of the decorations this morning.

She picked up the cake at 2:30pm and had left a msg by 4pm that the image had cracked and slid right off the cake on one side! It was fine at my house for hours but now it was sliding?! I totally believe her; I'm just amazed at the timing of it. Now I'm refunding her money tomorrow and baking a batch of "I'm sorry" cupcakes to help smooth things over. I feel so sick over this!!

I'll post a pic of the cake before it left my house.
What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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post #2 of 12
9/18/10 at 8:26pm
Yikes, I'm sorry this happened to you. I wonder what happened to make it slide off the cake.
MYW
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MYW
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post #3 of 12
9/18/10 at 9:00pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry - couldn't attach it properly. Will try to put it in my photos.

I think the 8 x10 sheets I used were dried out before I put them on the cake. Moral of the story - don't order frosting sheets in the summer where they are exposed to heat during transport. Or, order them from somewhere very close to you so they don't travel a long distance. Mine came from California.
What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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post #4 of 12
9/18/10 at 9:52pm
Sorry to hear of your misfortune. We all run into problems now and then. Did you spritz your cake with a bit of water before you placed the images on? I was wondering if that is the reason they fell off. Also, sometimes if your image is too dry it will crack, but that usually happens before you would put it on the cake. My other question would be what did the customer do with the cake once she left it? Did she leave it in a warm vehicle? Hope everything turns out for you once she does get her cupcakes. icon_wink.gif
Keep it sweet!
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Keep it sweet!
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post #5 of 12
9/19/10 at 5:27am
Thread Starter 
Marilyn! Thanks for your support. I did spritz with water because I had used a crusting buttercream on the cake. I also made the icing tacky by rubbing the water in with my hands slightly. The frosting sheet appears to have dried out afterwards but only in some areas!

I know she had it in her garage when she called me. I wonder if that was a problem? It was a cool and windy day here but the garage probably would have been ok, right?

It's 6:30 am here and I barely slept all night. I just want to get this over with and I hope she says good things about me later.... icon_cry.gif
What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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post #6 of 12
9/27/10 at 5:35pm
I don't think anyone knows how bad we cakers feel when something goes wrong with one of our creations. I think we've all had those sleepless nights and hollow feeling in the pit of our stomachs.

Just let it go and don't beat yourself up. It happens to all of us at one time or another. icon_biggrin.gif
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post #7 of 12
9/27/10 at 6:09pm
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Granniehelen - THANK YOU! It's pretty hard to forget and move on from my first disaster but...it helped a lot to air out my fears and grief on this site. Welcome to CC!!!

p.s. She wouldn't accept all the money back because the cake tasted so good. That was a relief and now I know for sure....TASTE is more important than looks but both should be excellent.
What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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post #8 of 12
12/13/10 at 4:02pm
Wow
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post #9 of 12
12/13/10 at 4:39pm
Man, that is a total bummer!! But you handled it very well. You showed yourself as being willing to step up and make up for an unfortunate situation. That will serve you well in the future. (And why is it that the customer who is most concerned with how it looks is ALWAYS the one that a mistake happens for!?! GRRR!!!)

The thing about edible images... they can make it really easy to make a quick-cute cake, or they can bring you to your knees in tears! When they look good, they look GOOD. When they are screwing with you, they are pure evil!! One day I couldn't find my 'good' paper, so I had some older ones from before they improved their product, and it was making me crazy. Every one I tried to remove from the backing cracked, peeled, little spots would stick. I was LOSING my mind. Tried everything... drying, freezing, praying. Fuhgeddabouddit! Right before I went postal I found my good paper and the day was saved. *deep sigh*
Melvira: Mistress of the dark... chocolate!

Well that's just great. Peanut butter in my crack.
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Melvira: Mistress of the dark... chocolate!

Well that's just great. Peanut butter in my crack.
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post #10 of 12
12/13/10 at 5:13pm
I know you feel terrible. We have all been there. You handled it like a true professional...hope you get more sleep tonight icon_smile.gif
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post #11 of 12
12/13/10 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Melvira and elliegails - misery loves company (and sympathy!). It happened a while ago now but, man, it still stings every time I think about it. A great lesson learned for me....don't get complacent!
What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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What would you do with your life if money was not a consideration?
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post #12 of 12
12/13/10 at 7:01pm
If her garage was as hot as mine was in Sept. it probable melted off of the BC.
A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands!
Glenda
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A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands!
Glenda
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